Ultrasonic measurement apparatus, ultrasonic imaging apparatus, and ultrasonic measurement method

Abstract

Provided are an ultrasonic measurement apparatus, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus and an ultrasonic measurement method that achieve an increase in processing speed together with an increase in resolution and are user friendly. An image is generated by adding together, with a weight having a fixed value, reception signals obtained by ultrasonic echoes being received by an ultrasonic element array, and an area of interest is set within the area in which the generated image is to be displayed. When an area of interest is acquired, the reception signals received by the ultrasonic element array are added together with weights that depend on the reception signals, with respect to data forming the basis of the image to be displayed in the area of interest, and image generation is performed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ultrasonic measurement apparatus comprising:
 an image processing unit that generates an image based on a reception signal obtained by an ultrasonic echo of an ultrasonic wave transmitted toward an object from an ultrasonic element array provided with a plurality of channels being received by the ultrasonic element array; and 
 an area-of-interest setting unit that sets an area of interest within a display area in which the generated image is to be displayed, the area of interest being smaller than the display area, 
 in response to setting of the area of interest, for reception signals of respective channels among the plurality of channels, the image processing unit performing a high resolution image generation with respect to first data forming a basis of an image to be displayed in the area of interest, and performing a non-high resolution image generation with respect to second data forming a basis of an image to be displayed in a different area other than the area of interest in the display area, 
 the image processing unit, as the performing of the high resolution image generation, receiving reception signals for the area of interest, performing a weight calculation to calculate an adaptive weight according to the reception signals, adding by performing phasing output using the adaptive weight and the reception signals, and performing image generation based on the phasing output, the image processing unit, as the performing of the non-high resolution image generation, receiving reception signals for the different area, which have been added together with a predetermined weight that is computed in advance and does not vary based on the reception signals before the image processing unit receives the reception signals for the different area, and performing image generation based on the reception signals which have been added together with the predetermined weight, 
 the image processing unit including an image combining unit that combines the image generated by the performing of the high resolution image generation and the image generated by the performing of the non-high image generation. 
 
     
     
       2. The ultrasonic measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the image processing unit derives the weight that depends on the reception signal of each channel, so as to minimize a variance of a result of multiplying the output signal of the channel after a delay time that depends on a linear distance from an object to the channel by the weight that depends on the reception signal of the channel. 
 
     
     
       3. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprising:
 an image processing unit that generates an image based on a reception signal obtained by an ultrasonic echo of an ultrasonic wave transmitted toward an object from an ultrasonic element array provided with a plurality of channels being received by the ultrasonic element array; 
 a display unit that displays the generated image; 
 an area-of-interest setting unit that sets an area of interest within a display area in which the generated image is to be displayed, the area of interest being smaller than the display area, 
 in response to setting of the area of interest, for reception signals of respective channels among the plurality of channels, the image processing unit performing a high resolution image generation with respect to data forming a basis of an image to be displayed in the area of interest, and performing a non-high resolution image generation with respect to data forming a basis of an image to be displayed in a different area other than the area of interest in the display area, 
 the image processing unit, as the performing of the high resolution image generation, receiving reception signals for the area of interest, performing a weight calculation to calculate an adaptive weight according to the reception signals, adding by performing phasing output using the adaptive weight and the reception signals, and performing image generation based on the phasing output, the image processing unit, as the performing of the non-high resolution image generation, receiving reception signals for the different area, which have been added together with a predetermined weight that is computed in advance and does not vary based on the reception signals before the image processing unit receives the reception signals for the different area, and performing image generation based on the reception signals which have been added together with the predetermined weight, 
 the image processing unit including an image combining unit that combines the image generated by the performing of the high resolution image generation and the image generated by the performing of the non-high image generation. 
 
     
     
       4. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an area input unit that receives input of an arbitrary point or area on an image displayed on the display unit, 
 wherein the area-of-interest setting unit sets the area of interest based on the arbitrary point or area that was input. 
 
     
     
       5. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the area input unit receives input of a desired frame rate, 
 the area-of-interest setting unit sets the area of interest to a size that enables image generation at a frame rate at or above the desired frame rate, and 
 as the frame rate increases, the size of the area of interest decreases. 
 
     
     
       6. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the area-of-interest setting unit sets a rectangular, trapezoidal or fan-shaped area as the area of interest, and specifies the rectangular, trapezoidal or fan-shaped area using coordinates of four corners. 
 
     
     
       7. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the area-of-interest setting unit sets a circular or elliptical area as the area of interest, and specifies the circular or elliptical area using center coordinates and a diameter. 
 
     
     
       8. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the display unit displays information showing the set area of interest so as to be overlaid on the generated image or instead of the generated image, 
 the area input unit receives input for changing the information showing the area of interest, and 
 the area-of-interest setting unit sets the area of interest based on the information showing the area of interest with respect to which the change input was received. 
 
     
     
       9. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a phasing and adding circuit that adds together the acquired reception signals with the predetermined weight, with respect to the data forming the basis of the image to be displayed in the different area. 
 
     
     
       10. An ultrasonic measurement method comprising:
 generating, at an image processing unit, an image based on a reception signal obtained by an ultrasonic echo of an ultrasonic wave transmitted toward an object being received; 
 setting an area of interest within a display area in which the generated image is to be displayed, the area of interest being smaller than the display area; 
 in response to setting of the area of interest, for reception signals of respective channels among the plurality of channels, performing a high resolution image generation with respect to data forming a basis of an image to be displayed in the area of interest, and performing a non-high resolution image generation with respect to data forming a basis of an image to be displayed in a different area other than the area of interest in the display area,
 the performing of the high resolution image generation including receiving reception signals for the area of interest, performing a weight calculation to calculate an adaptive weight according to the reception signals, adding by performing phasing output using the adaptive weight and the reception signals, and performing image generation based on the phasing output, and 
 the performing of the non-high resolution image generation including receiving reception signals for the different area, which have been added together with a predetermined weight that is computed in advance and does not vary based on the reception signals before receiving the reception signals for the different area, and performing image generation based on the reception signals which have been added together with the predetermined weight; and 
 
 combining the image generated by the performing of the high resolution image generation and the image generated by the performing of the non-high image generation. 
 
     
     
       11. The ultrasonic measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprises a switching circuit that switches between a first output and a second output while one frame is generated,
 while the switching circuit switches to the first output, the switching circuit outputting the first data forming the basis of the image to be displayed in the area of interest such that the image processing unit performs the high resolution image generation with respect to the first data, and 
 while the switching circuit switches to the second output, the switching circuit outputting the second data forming the basis of the image to be displayed in the different area other than the area of interest in the display area such that the image processing unit performs the non-high resolution image generation with respect to the second data.